‘Sinners’ Review: Ryan Coogler Helms a Visionary Feast To Bite Into

12 years ago, 25-year-old writer-director Ryan Coogler made his directorial feature debut with Fruitvale Station, a biographical drama focused on the late Oscar Grant starring 26-year-old Michael B. Jordan in his first lead role. This partnership ignited the dynamic duo of Coogler and Jordan over the next decade. They worked together on Creed, the first of a new trilogy in the Rocky franchise, and Marvel Studios’ Black Panther and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Their latest project, Sinners, marks their fifth collaboration.

Sinners is also Coogler’s first original project. It’s inspired by his late Uncle James, who was born and raised in Mississippi and loved listening to Delta blues music. Sinners is such a personal passion project for Coogler that he made a (rather unusual) deal with Warner Bros. Pictures to retain the film rights 25 years from release. And rightfully so, because Sinners is a visual spectacle that transcends genres.

Coogler proves he isn’t a genre-specific writer-director by delivering a film unlike anything he’s ever done. He seamlessly blends horror, music, history, and social commentary into Sinners, which makes the film more approachable for all movie lovers. There are some scares in Sinners, but mostly, it’s a must-watch original film that audiences will be talking about for years to come.

What Is ‘Sinners’ About?

Set in 1932, twins Elijah “Smoke” Moore and Elias “Stack” Moore (both played by Jordan) return home to Mississippi after years of working for Al Capone in Chicago. They plan to use their money to open up a juke joint — a bar with live music — for the Black community. During their return, Stack and Smoke reconnect with former lovers, Mary (Hailee Steinfeld) and Annie (Wunmi Mosaku), and gather up friends in the community to help operate the place. This includes their musically talented cousin, Sammie Moore (Miles Caton). However, their opening night takes a deadly turn when a vampire named Remmick (Jack O’Connell) and his crew of undead former KKK members (Lola Kirke, Peter Dreimanis) interrupt the festivities.

After working on four films together, Coogler and Jordan challenged themselves as creatives for Sinners. While it is double the work and more time for production and editing, Jordan’s effortless performance as Smoke and Stack is worth it. He plays the twins as distinct characters with the mannerisms he gives off, the way he talks, and his on-screen chemistry with different actors, in addition to several visual clues.

To make it even more believable that Jordan might have an equally talented twin brother, Coogler and the crew use cutting-edge tech to make the process smoother. Jordan wore a halo rig that had cameras pointed at his face so it could digitally place his head on a twin double without having to rely solely on the traditional techniques in shooting twins with the same actor. By now, Jordan and Coogler have a shorthand when working together, but it’s nice to see them grow as creative partners and expand their filmmaking knowledge.

The Cast Puts Their Blood, Sweat, and Tears Into ‘Sinners’

The first half of Sinners establishes the setting and naturally introduces the characters as the twins prepare for the juke joint’s grand opening. Some may see it as a slow burn to the horror promised in the marketing, but Coogler uses this time to showcase the beauty of the Mississippi Delta and its loving community, even when the threat of racism is looming over them.

There will never be enough films that capture the harsh reality of racism in America, but it’s worth noting that Coogler differentiates Sinners by also highlighting Chinese Americans in Mississippi. They aren’t typically shown in this part of the country, especially in the 1930s, so it was nice to see how intertwined Li Jun Li and Yao‘s Grace and Bo Chow are in the Black community.

This also ties into Steinfeld’s multiracial heritage; in an interview with Good Morning America, Steinfeld opened up about how her character in Sinners, Mary, who is also multiracial, made her feel connected with her ancestors, and she hopes audiences will also feel the same. Even though her Black ancestry is not visibly clear, Stack and Annie still consider her family. Steinfeld and Mosaku’s on-screen chemistry with Jordan is one of the many highlights of Sinners. Mary and Annie have their unique, tragic pasts with Stack and Smoke, respectively, so watching them reconnect adds to the viewer’s investment in these characters and the heart of the film.

The Villains Are Deliciously Evil and Nuanced in ‘Sinners’

Unlike some recent horror films, like Alien: Romulus or Abigail, the characters in Sinners are really fleshed out without any of them coming across as annoying or cannon fodder. In this film, the protagonists are interestingly quirky characters with likeable qualities. Looking at Bram Stoker‘s Dracula from 1887 — a major influence on most vampire content — Count Dracula wanted to use his power to spread his influence outside Transylvania. While Coogler does rely on some common tropes in vampire lore, like how to defeat one, he writes Remmick as someone who has something to offer his victims, and O’Connell’s performance sells this. Remmick isn’t a vampire looking to grow his legion for malicious reasons; he gives people a sense of acceptance and community, which can be very persuasive in a time when the country could not be more divided.

But Coogler clearly positions Remmick and his vampires as soulless through dialogue and exposition; they may have their memories, but they live on without a soul. Their use of music also separates them from the living in Sinners. Humans use music as a way to express their emotions, like joy and sorrow, and to provide community, while the vampires’ music feels hollow because it’s used as a way to draw people in and convert them. Coogler’s Irish dancing vampires provide a refreshing take on the genre that fits within the film’s setting and themes.

Once Remmick enters near the film’s second half, Sinners picks up both the pace and tension. Coogler’s experience on Creed and Black Panther comes into play as the action ramps up from 0 to 100 in an epic sequence that justifies seeing the film on the big screen. While the heart-pounding surround sound will make you feel each punch, Coogler’s writing will knock you out with emotional gut punches. The stakes couldn’t be higher for these characters as they have to go up against their loved ones who have been forcibly turned to the darkness.

The first half may be slow to some, but it’s absolutely necessary in building up emotional investment for these characters. And because the cast is operating at a high level in these likeable roles, it’s harder to watch them go through so much physical and emotional pain.

Ludwig Göransson’s Score Has a Supernatural Effect

While there are no misses across the entire cast, it bears mentioning that Caton’s acting debut in Sinners is the standout performance of the film. Don’t get me wrong, there are really powerful performances from this cast, but Caton’s booming singing voice and subtle acting choices cannot be overstated, especially as a first-time actor. The power of his voice is put on full display during the movie’s biggest moment, which will have audiences in awe. It’s a sequence that can only be captured effectively in film with the collaborative process between Autumn Durald Arkapaw‘s cinematography, Coogler’s direction, Michael Shawver‘s editing, the cast’s acting, Ludwig Göransson‘s music, and more. It not only represents the transcendent power of music across generations, but also the way it unites cultures all over the world. Everyone involved in this scene made sure that the message of the entire film resonates in this visual spectacle — the best film sequence of the decade so far, and an unforgettable moment in cinema history.

After recently receiving his second Academy Award for his work on Oppenheimer, Göransson somehow manages to top himself with Sinners. Similar to Jordan, Göransson has worked on every Coogler film to date (the pair met at USC as students, where Göransson scored Coogler’s student film). But instead of just being a composer, he also holds the title of executive producer on Sinners. His score not only works perfectly to capture the emotions in the film, but acts as its own character, and it’s clear that Coogler and Göransson understand the power music holds over people all across the world. If Coogler is looking to continue exploring different genres, a musical would be a fun and interesting challenge.

‘Sinners’ Is the Best Film of 2025 So Far

From acting, score, soundtrack, directing, cinematography, and set design, all the elements of Sinners make the film a worthy contender for multiple award nominations next year. While it is marketed as a horror film, don’t let that stop you from basking in this cinematic experience. Coogler does a great job of inserting jump scares when you least expect them, but overall, Sinners is a love letter to cinema and music that deserves to be seen on the big screen.

Even though Sinners is an original idea and there are no plans so far to continue it as a franchise, the mid-credits scene is a vital part of the story that adds important context to the film — so make sure to stay seated until after the credits. Coogler’s decision to include a post-credits scene may not make sense to some, but it’s a great moment of peace after all the horror that ensued. Ryan Coogler has yet to miss with any of his films, and it’s clear that his previous works have shaped Sinners to be his magnum opus. That being said, it’ll be interesting to see how he manages to top himself once again for his next confirmed projects: an X-Files reboot series and Black Panther 3.

Sinners is now showing in theaters. Follow Agents of Fandom on socials for all the latest entertainment news and reviews.